Back to the bar: Table service is over but should we be pleased about it?

Jostling to the front of the queue; elbows out to hold your position; the punter who waves a credit card at staff in a bid to get noticed; parting the crowd as you turn around, praying that no one sends a pint flying. Along with hugging and crowded venues, ordering at the bar was one of the first things to go with the arrival of the pandemic as pubs banned customers from approaching the bar to appease social distancing rules, and pivoted to table service (and all manner of mobile apps) to keep the drinks flowing.

Now the country looks to a future without restrictions as the prime minister has announced the imminent return to a pre-pandemic normality, free from masks and social distancing - and free, it seems, from table service in pubs. From 19 July, should all go to the government’s plan, there will no longer be rules against going up to the bar.

Individual establishments and councils can theoretically still put their own rules in place. Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, which runs 45 pubs in England and Wales, has already said the so-called ‘Freedom Day’ in mid-July “really shouldn’t be free for all day” and that he will urge customers to continue table orders to avoid a “scrum at the bar”. But without a government mandate it becomes harder to enforce.

There has been some scepticism over Johnson’s “if not now when” timing: in the last seven days, 178,128 people in the UK have tested positive for Covid - a 53 per cent increase on the previous week - as the more-transmissible Delta strain is dominant across the four nations.

For many businesses the transition period will come down to balancing the health risks to staff and customers against the precedent set by the government - and the financial implications of putting off those who want the old ways back overnight. Although ordering at the bar might be a social part of British drinking culture that many are attached to, there are also good reasons to celebrate the alternative that the pandemic has presented.

From lazy customers who don’t giving up their seat to those who find the bar not all that welcoming, though seemingly a small change many have appreciated the benefits of table service. Here The Independent lifestyle team weighs up the things we might not previously have considered.

At 40-years-old, I am unapologetically over being pushed around in a pit of sweat simply to procure my pint. The arrival of table service was an unlikely perk of the pandemic and one I wish was here to stay. And I’m not the only one.

Table service and the use of apps have arguably democratised the pub experience, particularly for some disabled patrons. This small shift in social culture has meant those with mental health conditions, such as anxiety, no longer need to linger at the bar in uncomfortably close proximity to others trying to catch the bar person’s eye. Wheelchair users can also avoid shouting over a bar well above head height to get their round in, while others with physical disabilities can simply stay seated while their drinks and food come to them.

Alison Kerry, head of communications at disability equality charity Scope, told The Independent that although disabled people often felt forgotten during the pandemic decision making, some of the changes have been positive. “Some of the changes to the way we live, like increased flexibility in the workplace, social distancing and more accessible customer service in bars and restaurants, has made some disabled people’s lives much easier.

“The greater use of apps has meant avoiding bars that are often at an awkward height, the risk of being ignored by bar staff or being squeezed out by other people jostling to get served,” says Kerry. “As restrictions are set to be lifted later this month it’s important that businesses don’t forget their disabled customers, and consider keeping some of the new ways of living.”

Table service is one small, but inclusive effort to even up the pub experience for all. Is it time to raise a glass to a more inclusive approach to the sesh? I’ll drink to that.

One of the biggest ongoing concerns about returning to bar service is whether or not it is the safest way of managing the virus. More than 45 million people in the UK have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while more than 33 million have received both jabs, but some customers are still going to be put off by proximity and chance of transmission.

Paulina Musayev, a 25-year-old marketing manager in London, says current guidelines inside bars and restaurants have helped curb her anxiety around being in public spaces but she won’t be in the queue for her local on 19 July. “I’m used to these current regulations, and the thought of pushing past sweaty bodies to get to the bar makes me feel really anxious,” she adds.

Musayev says she will steer clear of venues which are not offering table service for the first few weeks. “I’ve been to places where the more people get drunk, the more the rules are blurred. People stand up and walk around. I’m going to take it slow until I feel comfortable,” she says.

Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist at the University of Manchester, tells The Independent that it is important to remember that a combination of ventilation, mask wearing, and social distancing all have a “massive effect” on viral transmission. “Many buildings are not adequately ventilated and there is limited information to guide folks in deciding on how safe a venue is prior to booking. If mask wearing and ventilation are not actively encouraged, supported or mandated we are at a real risk of increasing infections further,” she says.

Robert Dingwall, professor of Sociology at Nottingham Trent University, says that when back at the bar an “orderly queue” where people stand behind one another facing each other’s backs or stand side by side “inherently reduces the risk” compared with people standing face to face, but as we all know, the queue at your local pub on a Friday evening can often be far from orderly. In addition, Dingwall says that wearing a mask at the bar will “offer little protection to the wearer” without social distancing.

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Ordering at a busy bar in pre-Covid times often felt like entering a mosh pit. Being surrounded and blocked by tall men, and trying to catch the bartender’s eye while in competition with men who more easily physically dominated the space. Then there was the harassment women would have to fend off, whether it be unsolicited comments or brazen groping.

But the Covid pandemic forced pubs to do away with the bar, replacing it with table service and ordering apps. All of a sudden, women were awarded the undivided attention of staff, or found the experience of ordering through an app more democratic and fair. But now women may find themselves pushed to the back of the queue once again when they want a drink.

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, told The Independent that hopes the pandemic might make men more vigilant and aware of other people’s lived experience were short-lived: “At the start of the pandemic, when men were experiencing what it is like to be constantly vigilant in public spaces, I did wonder whether that new awareness would enable conversations and action to end harassment and everyday sexism.

“Unfortunately as we know, public harassment remained a consistent - if not heightened- issue for women and girls. It’s clear that as society reopens, these conversations urgently need to be had - and we need men to step up as allies.”

We should not only consider the experience of customers when looking at the return to the bar - but also of those working behind it. Heather, 27, who works at a pub in Sheffield, says that she is concerned about the return to serving people at the bar so soon, although concedes that table service would not have worked in the long-term for the hospitality industry.

“Where I work we have the same amount of staff doing way more work with table service, and we cannot just put on more staff because we are not making money,” she says. “It is very tiring this way of working, people all want things at different times - four tables will shout at you at the same time. When it is full you very easily get behind and find yourself forgetting things.”

Although the traditional bar service will go some way to addressing this (and bringing back the social pub atmosphere that has been partly lost with table service), Heather - who is currently self-isolating - says she is still concerned it is too soon. “We’ve already got four members of staff self-isolating at the moment and we are just going to end up with no staff. And as it is quite a young industry most people have not been double vaccinated yet.”

“Other people might have the choice about whether [to go to pubs] but I still have to go to work. When I think about something like collecting glasses, if it goes back to standing like before you would be squeezing in between [people] getting really close to them to get to the table. The idea of my body being that close to that...the kind of anxiety of it,” she added.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality said that ultimately it is at the discretion of individual places: “It will be [the] operators’ choice whether to revert back to bar service and if it’s right for their business at this time. Firms and their staff will want to ensure they can deliver an experience that is safe and enjoyable for their teams and customers alike.”

One part of pub culture that has been thwarted by pandemic rules, and could now be reversed for the better, is meeting strangers. When it is table service only, you wave goodbye to spontaneous interactions at the bar. Flirtatious exchanges when you stood huddled together or maybe you exchanged tactics for getting the bartender’s attention. At least, that’s what happened to Jen Parker, 32, from Leicester.

“I was a student at York University and had gone on a night out with some friends. I was waiting for a drink at the bar and stepped back and accidentally stepped on someone’s foot. I turned round to apologise and we got chatting, bumped into each other a couple more times that night, had a cheeky snog and exchanged numbers. The next day, we met for a drink; it was an amazing evening. We saw each other every day after that.”  Now the pair are married.

Dating psychologist Madeleine Mason Roantree says that these chance encounters can lead to lasting romance. "Meeting someone IRL means you get access to not only their body language and touch, but also their pheromones,” she says. "The power of touch cannot be underestimated. Simply brushing someone’s hand as you reach out for some crisps, can trigger the release of oxytocin, the ‘feel good hormone’ in the other person.”

So who knows, when England does enter into step four and table service is abolished, and you find yourself waiting patiently to order a drink, you might just meet your future spouse.